Christianity Astray makes an attempt at determinining Hermeneutics

Christianity Astray.... ahem I mean Today made an attempt at a Hermeneutics Quiz. What it really appears to be is a Fundy meter to see if you as a Christian have not adopted the more contemporary views of Scripture. This quiz had a few questionable questions. Didymus a reader of this blog was the one who brought it to my attention. And it seems that while we might have great respect for one another we are on two sides of the spectrum when it comes to approaching the Bible. Let me list out a few principles I have learned in Seminary and then we will look at this quiz.

-The Bible has an Authorial Intent, this means that you come to the text looking for what the Author was trying to say. You CANNOT use the Bible as a magic 8 ball that you shake and ask question of, nor can you say things like "well the Bible says this to me." It does not matter what you feel or what you think it says to you it only matters what it says and what the Author wanted you to understand.

-The Bible has specific Historical, Grammatical, and Cultural issues that you need to take in to consideration when reading the text.

-Many principles and practices can be learned from reading the Bible

-The Bible is the AUTHORITY our interpretation is NOT

-The Bible is sufficient and inerrant (inerrant does not mean there are not minor copist errors, there are, but there is nothing that affects doctrine.)

-The Bible is where we get our Theology, Orthodoxy, and Orthopraxy (the practice of) all our ideals, morals, and standards. We submit ourselves to the Word of God.


Ok so that is not a comprehensive list but it is a good start. Now lets look at the Quiz.

Now for the first few questions it really will distinguish those who ascribe to 2000 years of Church History and the words of Jesus, Prophets and the Apostles and those who do not. I am ok with the questions as they are asked until we get to Question 8 which is about Homosexuality. First God has not changed his position on Marriage between one man and one woman ever. So it is an irrelevant question. It is only there because those who ascribe that anything outside of one man and one woman in marriage is a sin can be labeled "fundamentalist". So I think it is an deceptive and degenerating question, and anyone who has done a real read on the Bible from Genesis to Revelation knows where God stands on this issue.

In the next few questions they try and force a textual critical method of interpreting the text. While I disagree with that methodology since it is typically only used by those who want to try and reinterpret the Bible yet they would not use that methodology with any other extra Biblical text....

There is a question on 1 Timothy 2:9 about women wearing head coverings. Again if you read the Bible with the Historical Grammatical Method then there is no issue here, it is a cultural thing since those without head coverings were prostitutes and Paul was trying to keep sin issues from creeping into the church. This applies to Church today only in that the principle should be applied. For example men and women should dress respectfully and modestly in Church as to not cause another to sin.

The rest of the questions were ok and they do seem to make a determination about where you stand as it pertains to your Hermeneutic.